As individuals move through facilities, such as, for example, shopping malls, transit facilities (e.g., train stations, airports, subway platforms, etc.), military installations, and nuclear facilities, among others, there are safety and security concerns that can be difficult to manage, especially at large, public facilities. Many facilities have cameras, such as overhead cameras, that are used to monitor individuals and crowds. These cameras oftentimes do not get clear images of each of the individuals, especially in a crowded space, thereby making it difficult for anyone viewing the images to determine where the individual has visited in the facility and/or what the individual has been doing in the facility. Those tasked with maintaining the public's safety and security would benefit from a supplemental or improved system for monitoring individuals in large facilities.
The public also appreciates certain conveniences at many of those public facilities such as, for example, shopping malls or individual retail stores. As a convenience to shoppers, many retail facilities offer shopping carts that customers can use while they are shopping within the facility. These shopping carts generally have a basket portion, a handle, and wheels such that the shopping carts can easily be moved around a retail shopping facility as users fill the shopping cart with various items they intend to purchase. Further, modern retail environments often look for ways to further improve the customer experience, such as by providing convenient, ready access to retail products or items. To that end, a retail facility may find it advantageous to make locating products of interest easier for customers.
Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. Certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. The terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.